winter fuel allowance

anmarj

Newly_retired wrote: »

Younger people on certain other benefits may also be entitled to winter fuel payments, not to be confused with Cold Weather payments, triggered by ( you've guessed it) exceptionally cold weather.

nobody below State retirement age gets winter fuel, think you are confused

seven-day-weekend

Men below their retirement age can get it, but they have to have reached the female retirement age. I think that is what causes the confusion. So at the moment you have to be about 62. No-one younger than this is eligible.

mumps

I find this confusing. My husband is severely disabled and has got the WFA for some years, definitely before retirement age and I thought it was due to the other benefits he got, DLA and IS. He also got the £10 Christmas Bonus for years I think since he was in his 40s.

anmarj

mumps wrote: »

I find this confusing. My husband is severely disabled and has got the WFA for some years, definitely before retirement age and I thought it was due to the other benefits he got, DLA and IS. He also got the £10 Christmas Bonus for years I think since he was in his 40s.

WFA was paid to men from 60 due to the fact that women got state pension at 60 (about equality). The rules changed when SPA age for women started to increase so, in order to qualify for it now, men have to wait until they are the woman SPA. In the same way that nobody can quailfy for pension credit until the get to womam SPA. For example man dob is 29/7/52 cannot claim until 6/11/2014 and would not get the WFA until xmas 2015, where as somebody who had been born 29/7/50 could of claimed at 2010 when he was 60.

Xmas bonus has different set of qualify rules

hope this makes sense, holding baby at present!

seven-day-weekend

It's that time of the year again, so I have resurrected this thread to say a couple of things.

One, make sure you claim your WFA if you are the correct age but not yet claiming State Pension or another qualifying Benefit, it will not happen automatically.

Two, for those who say it should go straight to the energy companies. Many people pay their energy bills by monthly Direct Debit, so the money from the WFA goes into the general 'pot', they still pay their heating bills but there is no facility to pay it straight to the energy company. Therefore they use 'other' money for this and use the WFA for 'other' things (including Christmas presents). It works out the same in the end.

Three, many people use it to buy fuel other than gas or electricity, maybe oil or coal, or in our case wood for our woodburner, so we would not want it to go straight to the energy companies.

retiredlady

I am feeling a little dozy this morning. So if I am now getting state pension do I still have to apply for this or not?

seven-day-weekend

retiredlady wrote: »

I am feeling a little dozy this morning. So if I am now getting state pension do I still have to apply for this or not?

No......you only have to apply if you are of female State Pension age but not receiving State Pension (i.e. a man of the same age).

penrhyn

The wfa has not kept pace with increased fuel prices, it should be linked to RPI, and paid for by scrapping FIT payments.

zygurat789

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

No......you only have to apply if you are of female State Pension age but not receiving State Pension (i.e. a man of the same age).

Isn't that sex discrimination?

seven-day-weekend

zygurat789 wrote: »

Isn't that sex discrimination?

No....exactly the opposite. Men and women can claim it at the same age, although the men will not have reached State Retirement age.